Child&#39;s toy



Dec. 24, 1968 v. MARAsco 3,417,990

CHILD' S TOY Filed sept. 14, 196e V//vcE/vr Al/494960,

United States Patent() 3,417,990 CHILDS TOY Vincent Marasco, 1364 N.Western Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90027 Filed Sept. 14, 1966, Ser. No.579,269 8 Claims. (Cl. 272-30) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A childs toycomprising in combination; a supporting base with an upright post havinga centilever type spring consisting of two vertically spaced arms eachof which arms are rigidly connected at one end to the post and pivotallyat the other end to a body having a seat for the child. The body may bepivotally mounted on the post and have a second seat at a positionhorizontally removed from the rst seat and facing laterally of the bodywith respect to the rst seat so that a child in the second seat, byreaching the floor with his feet, can turn the body by walking.Additionally, the post, located centrally of the body, includes pedalsreached by a child in the first seat on the body for causing the body toturn pivotally about the axis of the post.

The present invention relates generally to toys for children, and moreparticularly to toys of the action-type designed to promote physicalactivity on the part of the child or children using them.

Young children need a considerable amount of physical activity to insureproper muscular development and bodily growth as well as to retain theinterest in toys. Toys of this type are particularly attractive tochildren because action and movement hold their attention and provideentertainment over longer periods of time than other types of toys.

Because toys of the action-type are inclined to be comparativelyexpensive, parents do not want toys which are quickly outgrown andprefer toys which will provide entertainment and action for childrenover as long as span of time as possible.

Thus, it is a general object of the present invention to provide anaction-type childs toy having a novel design and a particular appeal toyoung children.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy of this characterwhich not only provides a variety of motions or actions for a child,thereby increasing the range of use and interest on the part of thechild, but one which also can be modified to accommodate it to the childas he grows older, thereby increasing the span of useful life ofthe toy.

These objects are achieved in a childs toy comprising a body with afirst seat for a child, a supporting base with an upright post uponwhich the body is pivotally mounted, and resilient means mounting thebody on the post for vertical movement. This resilient means is acantilever type spring connected at one end to the post and at the otherend to the body, the connection to the body preferably being at twovertically spaced points by hinge or by pivot means, whereby the bodymaintains the same horizontal position as it moves up and down withrespect to the base. A post is preferably located centrally of the bodyand crank operated means are provided for the child to turn the bodyaround the pivotal axis of the post, the crank operated means includingpedals which can be reached by a child sitting in the seat to cause thebody of the toy on which a child is sitting to turn about a verticalaxis established by the post.

A second seat is detachably mounted on the body near one end thereof foruse by a younger child, such seat preferably being of the type thatrestrains the child but allows his feet to touch the door on which thetoy rests,

Patented Dec. 24, 1968 ICC so that as he walks on the floor he turns thetoy body about the vertical axis of the post. The post may have meansfor vertical adjustment in order to accommodate the toy to children ofdiiferent heights.

How the above objects and advantages, as well as others not specificallymentioned, are attained, will be more readily apparent by reference tothe following description and to the annexed drawing, in which:

FIG. l is a side and front perspective of a toy embodying the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the upper endof the supporting post and the spring connection between the toy bodyand the post.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section on line 3 of FIG. 2 showingthe cantilever spring connecting the body to the post and the pedalmeans for rotating the body around the post.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective of a portion of the body showing thedetachable secondary seat mounted on the end of the body.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIG. l, it willbe seen that the toy comprises body 10 pivotally mounted on base 11 bymeans of a post structure indicated generally at 12. Body 10 is hereshown as being the representation of a horse, as horses are popular withchildren, although this is not limitative upon the invention since thebody may take a representation of any animal or may simply be some othershape as dictated by its function. Body 10 includes seat 14 which ismore or less centrally located with respect to the body, for reasonswhich will become evident.

Body 10 of the toy is resiliently mounted upon post structure 12 bymeans of a cantilever-type spring shown particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3.This spring 15 consists of a pair of leaf springs 16 resilientlymounting the body on the post. A single leaf spring may be used but twovertically spaced springs give stability by resisting any tendency forthe body to turn about a horizontal axis, as it can do with but a singleleaf. For simplicity of manufacture and assembly, spring 15 ispreferably a U- shaped spring having a pair of outwardly extendingparallel arms 16 connected by a bight portion. The bight is attached tothe center post 12 by clamp 17 attached to the post in any suitablemanner, The arms 16 of the spring may be connected by pivots or hinges22 to the body or they may have rigid extensions 19 attached to the endsof the resilient arms, according to the amount of the deflection that itis desired to obtain from a given load on a given spring. The outer endsof spring arm extensions' 19 are here shown pivotally connected at twovertically spaced positions 22 to the rigid bar 20 which is attachedrmly to body 10, -brace 21 giving added strength and rigidity to the barby being connected between the lower end of the bar and the body, shownin FIG. 2. The pivotal connections 22 between the spring arms and thebar 20, which is considered to be a part of the body 10, permit angularmovement between the body and the spring, thus allowing the body tomaintain the same general horizontal aspect as it moves up and downvertically as indicated by arrow 23. This vertical oscillating movementis permitted by the resilient nature of the spring 15 and causes thebody to oscillate about a center established by the connection of thebight of the spring at clamp 17 with supporting post 12. A rigidconnecting of the spring arms to the body causes it to tilt slightly asit moves vertically.

The construction of the post 12 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. It includesan upper section 25 to which bracket 17 is attached. The upper section25 has a downwardly extending pivot pin 26 which is rotatably mounted ininner sleeve 27 that may be mounted directly upon the base 12; butpreferably sleeve 27 is slideably mounted in a second outer sleeve 28,which is secured to base 11 in any suitable manner. A thumb screw 29 orany other suitable clamping mechanism may be employed to hold innersleeve 27 at any vertical position with respect to the outer sleeve,thus permitting the entire length of post 12 to be adjusted to bring theheight of rbody 10 to a predetermined position.

Means are provided for rotating body 10 about the vertical axisestablished by post structure 12. Such means includes a horizontal shaft30 having at each end an oppositely extending crank 31, shaft 30 passingthrough and rotatable in the upper post section 25 and having keyed orotherwise secured to it bevel gear 33. The bevel gear 33 meshes with astationary bevel gear 34 which is nonrotatably attached to inner sleeve27, so that the two bevel gears are continuously meshed with each otheras the toy body 10 is adjusted in vertical Iposition by relativemovement of sleeves 27 and 28.

On the ends of cranks 31 are mounted pedals 32, in a location where theycan be reached by a child sitting on seat 14. A child sitting on theseat can engage pedals 32 with his feet and turn cranks 31, therebyrotating shaft 30 and gear 33 thereon to cause the upper portion 25 ofthe center post structure and body 10 mounted thereon, to rotate aboutthe vertical axis of the center post.

Although an optional feature, the complete toy preferably includes asecond seat, as shown in FIG. 4. This seat 36 is designed for the youngchild and is preferably detachably mounted on body 10 near one endthereof. This can be done conveniently by providing seat 36 with a pairof hooks 37 which slip over arid engage the tail portion 38 of the horsebody and are held in this engagement by the weight of the child in seat36. The seat structure can be removed from the horse at any time bylifting it upperwardly to disengage hooks 37 from the tail 38.

Seat 36 is lower on the body than the seat 14 described above, thelatter being designed for a child old enough t sit astride the body andlarge enough to manipulate pedals 32 from the seat. Also, seat 36 faceslaterally or to one side of the horse. Consequently, a child can walkforward, but is guided lby the turning body in a circular path. Ofcourse, a child astride the horse faces forward or along the length ofthe body.

Seat 36 is preferably adjustable with respect to the floor on which base10 rests so that a child in seat 36 can touch the oor with his feet andby a walking motion can cause the horse to rotate the vertical axis ofpost 12. Alternatively, the seat can be raised sufliciently that thechilds feet do not touch the iloor and he can bounce up and down,setting the body into motion in a vertical plane as permitted by spring15. If an older child is in seat 14, then both children can utilize thetoy at one time.

By placing the secondary seat 36 at one end of the body, a greaterleverage is obtained and this compensates to some extent for the lighterweight of the child using the secondary seat, as compared with a childusing seat 14, so that a suitable amount of vertical movement isobtained for both children with a single strength of spring 15.

Thus it will be seen that a child at the age when it is learning to walkor shortly thereafter, can use the toy by 'being placed in seat 36. Heis able to produce an up and down bouncing motion or to turn the horseabout its pivot, being confined to a circular path the toy performs as aWalker. As a child grows older, the seat 36 can be removed and only theseat 14 used, the child then being of an age to reach the pedals 32. Atany time he can still get the oscillating vertical motion or the turningmotion about a vertical axis, or can combine the two of them as hechooses. This way the toy can be used by children over a range ofseveral years Vand substantial growth.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the toyconstituting the present invention might be modified in many ways in itsappearance or in details of construction without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention; and accordingly, it is to beunderstood that the foregoing description is considered to beillustrative of, rather than limitative upon, the invention as definedby the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A childs toy comprising in combination:

a body with a seat for a child;

a supporting base with an upright post;

and resilient means mounting the body on the post for vertical movementrelative to the post,

said resilient means comprising a cantilever type spring comprising twovertically spaced arms each connected rigidly at one end to the post andpivotally at the other end to the body.

2. A childs toy as in claim 1 in which the post is located centrally ofthe -body and the body is pivotally mounted on the post to turn about avertical axis;

and which also includes a second seat mounted on said body at a positionhorizontally removed from the first seat and facing laterally of thebody and with respect to the rst seat,

the second seat being at a level such that a child in the second seatreaches with his feet a floor on which the base rests and turns the bodyby a walking motion with respect to the oor.

3. A childs toy as in claim 1 in which the spring is of U-shapedconfiguration with two parallel arms and is connected at the bight tothe post and at the ends of the two arms to the body.

4. A childs toy as in claim 3 in which the connection of the arms to thebody includes a pivoted connection at each arm to a common rigid bar.

5. A childs toy as in claim 1 in which the post is located centrally ofand pivotally mounts the body;

and which also includes crank operated means for causing the body toturn about the axis of said post.

6. A childs toy as in claim S in which the crank operated means includespedals reached by a child in said seat means on the body. A

7. A childs toy as in claim 5 which also includes a second removableseat detachably mounted on said lbody near one end thereof.

8. A childs toy as in claim 7 in which the second seat is at a levelthat a child in the seat reaches with his feet a floor on which the baserests.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 118,599 8/1871 Faulks 272-33 X822,329 6/ 1906 Wilcox 272-55 1,069,715 8/1913 Morris 272-30 1,384,2157/1921 Scott et al 272-33 1,854,059 4/1932 Paris 272-52 2,527,460 10/1950 Smith 272-30 2,536,572 1/1951 Sather 24S-399 2,688,483 9/1954Mugler 272-33 2,769,484 11/ 1956 Kairath 272-52 2,949,153 8/ 1960Hickman 248-399 3,049,350 8/ 1962 Walker 272-33 ANTON O. OECHSLE,Primary Examiner.

A. W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R.

